I have been asked and accepted a position as varsity clock operator and sub-varsity field crew in Football this year. This will be my first year as a football official. I know some people that do multi sports and some are real good and some are not just as in life. Any of you do multi sports and do you find it hard to be really good at them all especially with all the study required to learn the rules properly for all of them.

I, literally, just do the one sport these days, and that is fastpitch softball. No more SP, no more baseball. I have never even thought of getting into any of the other, non diamond sports.

Well I already have been both SP and FP but the question pertains mostly to doing other, and I love your way of putting it, Non-Diamond Sports as well.

I keep thinking about adding soccer, but haven't yet. I've got a number of umpire buddies who work basketball and or soccer. But I do think it dilutes their intensity on the field by doing other sports.

I do all the BB, and SB, I can get, which is quite a lot (some SP if needed).
Never liked Hoops, don't understand soccer, enjoy being a football fan.

Some guys in our group do all of them, and are very good at it. They really enjoy it, and that is the key. You gotta enjoy it, or leave it alone.

FP and basketball. Fortunately, the seasons don't overlap, and there is usually some time between the end of one of the beginning of the other. I try and use that time to intensely study the rules, but all the basics stick with you. Yes, it takes a little more work to keep all that straight, but I like to think I still do a great job in both sports. But I think if I added another one, that would be pushing it.

I do FP, SP, Football, & Basketball. I have done baseball and soccer. Rules study between seasons is a must, no matter how little time there is between seasons. I added a new sport every few years, so I had a good rules knowledge of basketball before I started football; and a good rules knowledge of basketball and football before I started FP, SP and baseball. Starting SP, FP and baseball was the hardest because of the season - all three at the same time. I dropped baseball and FP and SP rules are now easier to recall at game time. As for success? That is subjective, but I feel good about my basketball and football officiating. I would say that I am where I want to be in basketball, but I have higher goals in football than I have realized at this point.

I hope this helps you.

Thanx

I do FP softball year round...we go inside about the middle of October. But I also do Football during the fall, and don't seem to have a problem with overlap. The two are very different. I do go through the rulebook before football season begins (about 2 weeks after my heavy summer softball season begins to dwindle down).

I also have my volleyball license, but haven't worked any in the last couple years. It was hard to do two sports in one season, but they are different enough that a quick review of rules would get me mentally focused.

Baseball is also on my license, but I only work that as favors to Athletic Directors. I always review before a baseball game, especially mechanics.

Have done basketball and wrestling as well, but they are different so I don't get confused.

Mostly though I do softball. Any time I am doing something else, I'll review rules and mechanics.

I do FP softball, volleyball and wrestling. They are so much different that is in not a real issue. I did find one real odd thing about officiating, in high school my favorite sport was wrestling, and it now is my least favorite to officiate. I don't know if it is because of the male aspect of the sport, meaning that the intensity seems to be higher between coaches and parents when it is their sons competing instead of their daughters. It is funny if you asked me 10 years ago to rate how I felt about the sports I's say wrestling, volleyball, softball. But my preference in officiating now is softball, volleyball, wrestling! I guess I got one rated correctly!

And of course as almost all others have mentioned you HAVE to study, and restudy the rule book every year before during and after the season! I agree with one poster that mentioned it is easier to get started in one or two sports then add them gradually, I started with ASA softball and then jumped into all 3 high school sports at once! It did make it hard the first year, except for softball as I had a good base knowledge to start with.

[Edited by DaveASA/FED on Jul 13th, 2004 at 01:51 PM]